National Treasure: Reuntied
by Rivan Warrioress
Summary: AU. A tragedy reunites Ben with his niece, but when Ian escapes from jail, the lives of Ben, Riley, Abigail, and the rest of the Gates family is put in Jeopardy. BenAbigail, RileyOC.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Patrick Gates frowned inwardly as he strode up the stairs of his home. He could hear muffled talking and laughter, and knew it was issuing from the bedroom of his oldest son, Thomas Jefferson Gates, but Patrick knew that Thomas was not the lone cause of the noise. His younger son, Benjamin Franklin Gates, was also, doubtlessly involved. Patrick crossed the landing and knocked sharply upon Thomas's bedroom door. He almost laughed out loud as he heard a sudden hush fall from within the room, before entering. He instantly spotted the two boys, his sons, perched on Thomas's bed together, their faces showing identical looks of worry and fear. They looked similar to a deer that had been caught in a spotlight.

"What are you two doing still up?" Patrick asked. Thomas nervously licked his lips.

"We were just talking about stuff, dad." Ben nodded to back up his older brother. Patrick had to hide his smile as he looked at the pair. Although they looked very similar, they were different in other aspects. Ben, aged 10 at the time, was very caught up in the idea of the templar treasure, addicted to the tale he had been told by his Grandfather, whereas Thomas, 15 years old, was happy to read about such things, but take them as what they were in Patrick's point of view, fiction. Patrick could envision both of his son's future careers. Thomas would become either a historian, or a literature teacher, as he enjoyed reading and analyzing books, while Ben would, despite his father's pleas, would go on to become a treasure hunter.

"This 'stuff,' doesn't involve sleeping, does it?" Patrick asked. Both boys shook their heads.

"Then it can wait perfectly well until morning, alright. Ben, go back to your room. I'll be around soon to make sure you're in bed." Patrick told them. Ben slowly slid off the bed and walked past his father towards his own room, while Thomas slid underneath his covers, pausing to gaze at a photograph he had of he and his girlfriend on his bedside table.

"Goodnight, Dad." He muttered, gazing at the photo. Patrick groaned inwardly and rolled his eyes, closing the door behind him as he left. He hurried into Ben's room creaked open the door, only to find that Ben had already fallen asleep. Patrick could tell, from the whimsical little smile on his son's face that he was dreaming of the treasure.

"It was only ever a dream, son" he whispered

Patrick Gates stretched out comfortably in his reclining chair, his eyes roving his living room. Rare antiques, paintings, and photographs lined the walls. He stretched his back slightly. Six months had passed since Ben had found the treasure, and the media storm had only now begun to fade.

A long time had passed since that night, all those years ago, when Patrick had discovered the boys up until late at night discussing 'stuff,' and many things had changed since then. Ben had, of course, devoted his entire life to finding the treasure, and upon finding it, had been giving talks, and traveling with exhibitions about the treasure ever since, as well as buying a very nice house, and seeing a certain Dr. Chase consistently as well. Thomas, on the other hand, had majored in Literature at College, and had been offered a job in Australia teaching the subject upon his graduating at the top of his class, which he readily accepted. With him went his girlfriend, amazingly the same girl as the one that Thomas had been seeing all those years ago. They were married one year later, and Patrick had received two grandchildren from their union. Currently, Thomas was working at a university in southern Australia. Patrick enjoyed receiving phone calls from his son, and made a point of going to see him at least once every two years, and he doted upon his grandchildren, Patrick and Nicole. Patrick's gaze fell upon a recent photograph of the pair. Patrick was four years older than Nicole, but they usually ignored the age difference. Patrick sighed and got up, glancing at the tall grandfather clock. It was almost midnight, and he knew he should get to bed.

It was at about 1:00 that morning when Patrick Gates awoke to hear his phone ringing. Muttering about the inconvenience of telemarketers, he groggily reached out and picked up the receiver of his phone.

"Hello?" he spoke into the receiver.

"Ah, is this Mr. Patrick Gates?"

"Yes, who is calling please?"

"My name is Senior Detective John Cage of the Victoria Police Force in Australia." Upon hearing this, Patrick sat up slightly.

"Is this about Thomas?" he asked. He could hear the man sigh down the phone.

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Gates, but there has been an accident."

**A.N. This plot bunny has been after me for a while know, and I finally have gotten around to writing it down. What do you think? Tell me in your reviews. **


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Dad, what's going on? You're not making any sense." A confused and tired Benjamin Gates asked his father down the phone. He felt Abigail stir beside him as he listened to his father's frantic voice.

"A police officer in Australia just rang me. He said there had been an accident."

"Whoa, Dad, what sort of accident. What happened?"

"I don't know. It was a car accident?"

"Was Thomas involved?" Ben interrupted. He needed answers, and his father was in such a distressed state that he wasn't getting them. From down the phone, he heard his father break down.

"Yes," Patrick Gates sobbed, "they were hit by a car that ran a red light."

"Oh my god, dad. I'll come right over. They'll be fine, I promise. I'll see you soon" Ben assured his father.

"Be careful" Patrick reminded him. Ben nodded, even though he knew his father couldn't see him.

"I will, Dad, bye"

"Bye Son" Patrick hanging up, and Ben followed suit. He sat for a few moments, shell-shocked. Abigail sat up, worried.

"Ben, what's wrong, what's happened?"

"It was my Dad. He just got a phone call from a cop in Australia. My brother's been in a car accident, and it sounds pretty serious." Ben told her, trying to force his voice into sounding calm.

"Oh Ben, I'm so sorry" Abigail embraced him, kissing him gently on the cheek and rubbing his back. Ben leant into the embrace, turning to face Abigail. His eyes were shining with tears. Ben rested his head on Abigail's shoulder and sobbed. Although she had never met Ben's brother, she had heard a great deal about him from both Ben and Patrick.

Together, Ben and Abigail got up and got dressed. Abigail packed them both some clothes, and then, leaving a note for Riley, who for once was spending the night at his own home, and set out towards Patrick's house.

It was early morning by the time they reached Philadelphia. Abigail had dozed throughout the journey, but Ben was wide awake. He pulled up outside his father's house and, nudging Abigail to make sure she was awake, opened the car door. He ran up the front path to the house, and banged on the door. Moments later, Patrick opened the door. Ben hugged his father.

"Dad, is there any news?" he asked as he entered. Abigail followed him through the door, which Patrick closed. The older man shook his head.

"No, the police officer gave me a number I could ring, but I couldn't, Ben, I couldn't ring that number."

"I'll do it if you want" Ben instantly offered, patting his dad's shoulder. Patrick nodded.

"Thanks, son." He handed Ben a slip of paper and Ben walked over to the phone. Abigail put another log on the fire, and sat with Patrick on the couch, watching Ben as he switched on the speakerphone and dialed a number into the phone. It rang a few times, before a sleepy voice answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hello. My name is Benjamin Gates. My Dad was told to contact you about my brother, Thomas Gates."

"Oh yes. My name is Senior Detective John Cage. I spoke to your father earlier."

"Yes, that's right" Ben nodded, "What can you tell me?"

"Well, at this early stage of investigations, it appears that your brother's car was struck on the driver's side at an intersection by another vehicle that had run a red light. The force of the collision pushed your brother's car into a power pole. Emergency services arrived quickly at the scene, and were able to extract your brother and his family. I'm so sorry, Mr. Gates, but it looks like your brother died in the initial impact."

Ben almost dropped the phone as he sank into a seat. He looked at his father, and their eyes met. Abigail hugged Patrick, gently rocking him, whispering into his ear. Ben, however saw the raw emotion on his father's face, the grief and overwhelming despair.

"Dad, I'm so sorry" he murmured.

"Hello, Mr. Gates are you still there?" asked the Australian police officer. Ben nodded.

"Yes, I'm here. Sorry, it was a bit of a shock."

"That's quite fine, Mr. Gates."

"Do continue. How are the others, Rose and the kids?"

"Um, well, it appears that when the car collided with the power pole on the passenger's side, Rosemary Gates was killed. The two children were in the back seats, and were slightly protected from these tow collisions, however, your nephew, Patrick, sustained serious injuries in the accident, and he died en route to hospital. The Paramedics tried to resuscitate him, but upon his arrival at hospital he was declared dead. Young Nicole Gates is in a serious but stable condition in hospital. She has a concussion, cuts and bruises, a sprained ankle, and is otherwise alright; however we are worried about the amount of trauma she has been subjected to, as she was conscious throughout the entire accident. She lost consciousness on the way to hospital. If you wish, we can arrange accommodation for you here if you want to come over"

"Um, yes that would be great. There will be three of us coming over."

"I shall make the reservations, Mr. Gates. I'll contact you with the arrangements. I am truly sorry about this tragedy"

"Thank you, goodbye" Ben thanked him.

"Goodbye, Mr. Gates" the police officer hung up. Silence penetrated the room as the three occupants sat in a shocked silence, which Ben broke.

"Oh, Dad" he muttered, stepping forward and embracing his father. Together, they cried, mourning the los of so much family in one great blow.

**A.N. I think I'll end this chapter here. I hope you enjoy****ed it. Please Review, it doesn't take long. **


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ben, Patrick and Abigail followed the uniformed police officer they had met at the airport into the hospital. All three were slightly Jet lagged form the flight form America to Australia, but they had unanimously decided that instead of stopping over at the hotel they were staying in, they would go strait to the hospital that Nicole was staying in. Senior Detective Cage had expected this, and had phoned ahead of their arrival to discover where the young girl's room was.

Ben's eyes flew around, taking in the environment around him. It was clean, and had a typical Hospital smell. The walls were lined with windows into rooms, doors, and posters featuring health promotion initiatives. Eventually, they were shown into a room, dimly lit, with a window looking out over a park, but it was what lay, unconscious, upon the bed that drew their attention. Nicole Gates was a small, skinny girl, 17 years old, with thick, dark hair that fell in waves around her face and grey eyes. Ben gently rested his hand on his father's shoulder reassuringly as they slowly approached the bed.

Nicole looked like she was merely sleeping, but the bandage that covered up part of her forehead betrayed the truth. Both of her arms were resting on the covers, and one of her wrists was bandaged. Both of her arms were marked with bruises, and had several cuts running down them, all of which were bandaged up. What the most disturbing thing, in Ben's point of view, was the dried tear lines that ran down her cheeks, evidence that the young teenager had been awake since the accident, and knew of her parents and brother's deaths. Patrick walked past Ben and sank into the chair sitting beside the bed, taking hold of Nicole's hand and gently squeezing it. Ben felt Abigail draw closer to him, and bury her head into his chest. From the subtle shaking in her shoulders, Ben knew she was crying. Senior Detective respectfully backed out of the room, and closed the door, leaving the small family time together.

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Time seemed to crawl past as Patrick, Ben and Abigail stood a silent watch over young Nicole. Abigail elected herself as the one who would go and fetch the coffee from the cafeteria, and busied herself with getting Ben and Patrick coffees. When Ben figured it would be well and truly daylight in America, he left the room and called Riley.

And still Nicole slept on. Her doctor, and middle aged woman, came to see her, and further briefed Patrick, Ben and Abigail on Nicole's condition. Eventually, the trio was alone in the room once more, when a muffled whimper of pain reached their ears. Ben was the first to jump to his feet and grip Nicole's hand as the young girl slowly regained consciousness.

"We're here, little one," Patrick softly spoke, gripping Nicole's other hand, "your grandfather, and your Uncle Ben and Abigail, we're here"

"Grandfather" Nicole croaked, her voice hoarse and dry, and her eyes still closed.

"Yes, Nicole, I'm here, and Uncle Ben, and Abigail." The young girl whimpered and opened her eyes a fraction, taking in the room around her.

"Uncle Ben," she recognized Ben and smiled softly, "Long time, no see."

"It's been too long, hasn't it" admitted Ben. Nicole took a shaky breath.

"So, it's true then, what they were telling me, otherwise you wouldn't be here. Mum and Dad and Pat are gone"

"I'm so sorry, Nic" Patrick gently cupped Nicole's cheek with his spare hand as tears begun to once again fall down her cheeks.

"It's my fault we were out that day. It was my graduation dinner the night before, and we were going out to get a late breakfast at my favorite café. It's all my fault."

"No its not" Ben reminded her, squeezing her hand, "If it was anyone's fault, it was that idiot who hit your cars."

"He died too. I saw them pull him out of his car. Part of his front windscreen was embedded in his neck. It wasn't pleasant" Rhiannon quietly told them, her head bowed, and all of the adults paled. Ben looked around, searching for a distraction. Hs eyes fell on Abigail.

"Hey, Nicole, you don't know Abigail yet, do you?" he asked, pulling Abigail beside him. Nicole looked up; her face lined with tears, and shook her head.

"Okay, Nicole, this is Abigail, my girlfriend. Abigail, this is Nicole, my niece."

"It's a pleasure to meet you" Abigail extended a hand, and Nicole imitated the gesture.

"It's nice to meet you too" Nicole weakly smiled as they shook hands, gingerly, due to Nicole's hand being wrapped in bandages.

"Oh, by the way," the youth added, "Congratulations on finding the treasure." Ben smiled.

"So you know about that?"

"Of course I know about that. The entire world knows about that. You would be living under a rock of you didn't know about it." Nicole told them, rolling her eyes, before falling silent once more. Eventually, she fell asleep once more, and the trio consented to being taken to their hotel so they could freshen up.

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In the days that followed, Patrick, Ben and Abigail spent their time between visiting Nicole in Hospital, and helping plan the funeral. It would be taking place seven days after the accident, and only one day after Nicole was set to be released from Hospital. Ben and Abigail worried continuously about the welfare of both Patrick, and Nicole. Patrick seemed greatly distressed by his son's death, and Nicole too, seemed to be struggling to deal with the loss of her family. Nicole spent some time with a grief counselor, who later discussed with Ben and Abigail.

"She is doing surprisingly well, all things considering." The counselor told them, much to Ben and Abigail's surprise.

"What do you mean?" Ben asked. The counselor shrugged.

"Considering it has only been five days since the accident, Nicole is coping well with her parent's death. She is a well balanced young woman. She is going through the natural process of grieving. She has accepted what has happened, in her own way, and she will discuss her feelings about it to you, albeit reluctantly. For someone of her own age, she is coping well"

"What can we do to help her?" Abigail asked, knowing Ben was wondering the exact same thing.

"Be there for her, talk to her, gain her confidence. Let her cry on you, and show to her you are feeling similar emotions" recommended the counselor, "I will speak to you tomorrow prior to Nicole's release." With that she walked of, her head bowed. Ben and Abigail looked at each other, before re entering Nicole's room. Nicole was propped up on her pillows, and was talking to Patrick. She looked better than she did when they had first arrived in Australia. The bruises that had been blue or purple had begun to fade, and the cuts on her arms were healing well. The next day, the bandages on her sprained wrist would be removed, as that injury had proved less severe than what the doctors had originally suspected.

Ben sighed as he looked upon his young niece. It wasn't the present that worried him, but Nicole's future. It was still another couple of days until the reading of her parents will, and until Nicole's future remained uncertain. No-one was exactly sure who had been named the girl's guardian. Ben frowned. Nicole had already stated that she didn't want to go straight into university the following year, deciding that she would instead defer for a year before returning. What she did during that year, however, was still a mystery to her, and as Abigail had said at the time, it depended on her parents will. Even though she had completed secondary school, it would still be another ten months until she was of age.

And it wasn't until then that she would be free to be alone.

**A.N. Well, there's another update for you. It will speed up some more after the next chapter or two, I promise.**


	4. Chapter 3

TISSUE WARNING in advance for this chapter

Chapter 3

Benjamin Gates had never seen his father looking as old as he did the morning of Thomas, Rose, and Patrick's funeral. Ben and Abigail were sleeping on the fold out couch in their hotel room, while Patrick slept in one of the bedrooms, while Nicole was sleeping in the other, having been released from Hospital. The four of them woke up early in the morning, and Ben could see that neither Patrick, nor Nicole, had gained a restful sleep.

Ben slipped into the bathroom to get changed into his suit, which he was actually wearing for a legitimate reason for the first time, while Abigail helped Nicole fiddle with her long, dark hair, and Patrick got changed into his own suit. Then, the girls got changed, with Abigail wearing a smart looking black skirt and jacket, and Nicole wearing a below knee length black dress, with an off white sash. The morning was spent in relative silence, with each member of the family caught up in his or her own thoughts.

By 9:30, the four wordlessly climbed into the car that Ben had hired for the duration of their stay in Australia, and Ben drove to the small church that the funeral was to be held in.

Many of the other mourners had already arrived. Ben recognized some as people who had visited Nicole in hospital, including all of her friends from school, several friends of Thomas and Rose, and one or two work colleagues. Nicole walked strait to her group of friends from school, whom, as a mark of respect, had all worn their matching school uniforms. Their was a moment of awkwardness, were Nicole shakily thanked them for coming, then one of the girls embraced Nicole warmly, and Nicole broke down and wept into the girls shoulder. The rest of the group joined the embrace, until they had completely encircled Nicole. Behind him, Abigail sniffed, and reached for a tissue, watching the scene with teary eyes. Eventually, Nicole broke free from her friends, and rejoined Ben, Patrick and Abigail as another two cars pulled up, containing Patrick's friends, whom were all wearing matching suits, but relaxed the look slightly by wearing Hawaiian shirts underneath. Upon seeing this, Nicole gave a feeble little laugh.

"Pat would have loved that" she smiled, before giving the boys a small wave, which they returned. Nicole wandered over to some of her parent's friends, and a middle aged woman with graying hair approached Ben and Abigail.

"Mr. Gates, I assume?' she offered Ben her hand, which he shook.

"I'm Mrs. Backwell, Nicole's year level manager. I am very sorry for your loss."

"Thank-you. Did you know my brother and his wife well?" Ben asked.

"Unfortunately not, I met Mrs. Gates occasionally at parent teacher interviews, she seemed to be a very kind woman though" admitted the teacher. Ben glanced around, making sure he could still see his father and Nicole.

"Are you close to Nicole?" he asked.

"Well, we get along, if that's what you mean. I taught her for two years, and we rarely disagreed. She was an excellent student, and an even better friend, from what I've been told by her friends. She is a very quiet girl, shy, and quite happy to sit and do her work, but from what I've been told, she is the best sort of friend, thoughtful, loyal, with a sense of humor, which was something I picked up on. She could barely go through a speech without making a joke about something. It was very refreshing, and made my job much more enjoyable. I'm sorry to see her graduate, in some ways." The teacher told them, her voice rising ever so slightly. Ben smiled.

"She sounds great" Abigail grinned.

"Yes, such a pity about all of this. She would've done so well, but I don't know how she'll cope now. Do you know who will gain custody now?"

Ben shook his head, "No, Tom and Rose didn't tell anyone who they'd named in their will."

"Well, I'll leave you to it. Good luck during the ceremony, and my condolences to you both" Mrs. Backwell walked away, joining the group of Nicole's friends. At that moment, the reverent conducting the surface opened the doors, and beckoned everyone into the search. Nicole and Patrick returned to Ben and Abigail's sides, and lead the congregation of mourners into the church, and were each presented with a programme from the organ player. The small group sat in the front pew, sitting not far from where the three caskets were positioned at the front of the church, side by side. Patrick sat at one end, next to Nicole, who was perched next to Ben, and Abigail sat at the other end. Nicole leant against Ben, and commenced sobbing quietly. Ben, instinctively, wrapped a comforting arm around the youth, who nestled closer to him, seeking his comfort as the minister commenced the ceremony.

"We are gathered here today to bid farewell to three much loved family, friends, colleagues and students. The loss of Thomas, Rose, and Patrick Gates in one incident is tragedy enough, but that one sole remaining member of this small, close, family, is heartbreaking. Young Nicole Gates, who sits before me now, will never again feel the warmth of her father's arms, the kindness in her mother's voice, or the genuine older brotherly protective nature of her brother. I commend her on the bravery she has thus far shown throughout this traumatic ordeal, and know that I am speaking for her dearly departed family, that they would be very, very proud of her. Thomas Gate's Father and Brother would now like to step forward a say a few words." The minister stepped aside, and Ben and Patrick got up and approached the lectern. Abigail shuffled sideways, taking Ben's position next to Nicole

"Well, I never thought I'd have to do this, attend the funeral of one of m sons, but here I am," Patrick began, reading of a piece of paper, "No parent should ever outlive their child, as I found out the hard way when I found out about the accident. In the days that have followed, I have been doing a lot of thinking about my son, Thomas. He was born on the 7th of July, 1961. He went to elementary school, and became a big brother at five, and quickly adapted to becoming the stereotypical older brother. From childhood, Thomas showed an interest in reading, and this interest became more profound as he got older. He also enjoyed teaching, getting a part time job in high school tutoring some of the children living in our local area. Eventually, he set his heart upon an occupation that would combine both of these loves, the teaching of literature. I know Thomas loved his job. While I'm on the topic of Thomas's loves, I should mention Rose, the love of Thomas's life. They met when they went into high school, and were instantly attracted. The commenced going out when they were 15, and have been together fairly consistently ever since. When, after they had both graduated from college, and Thomas received a job offer in Australia, she didn't think twice about going with him, with the two of them being married two months before Thomas was due to start his new job. Less than one year later, little Patrick William Gates was born, and Thomas took to father hood like a duck takes to water. After almost six years, Thomas became a father once more, when Nicole Laura Gates entered the wall. I visited my son soon afterwards, and I have never seen any man being so content with his life. My son went on to be very successful, moving his family to Queensland Australia when a high paying job offer was made, for five years, before returning to Victoria and another job offer. He has been working their ever since. Their were three things that made my son who he was. The first was his family. No matter what it was, no matter how in significant it was, he was so proud of his two little angels, and he loved them unconditionally. He will always love them. The second was pride in his work. Everything he ever did, whether it was for work, or while he was at school. Was of the highest quality Thomas was capable of, and the third thing was his devotion to Rose, his first, and only, true love." Patrick stepped down to wild applause, and many mourners were dabbing at their eyes. Ben stepped forward, shuffling the papers already on the lectern slightly.

"My dad sort of has said a lot of what I wanted to say. Thomas was the best big brother a guy like me could have. He was kind, thoughtful, loyal, and would listen to me whenever I had an issue. He would just sit up and talk to me, a lot of the time about nothing, and I remember many occasions when we got in trouble for staying up until almost 1 in the morning, just talking about stuff. Those are the memories I'll cherish about my brother, one of the best men I've ever known" Ben broke of, and stepped down from the alter, whipping tears from his eyes, and he too was applauded. The minister stepped out of the shadows, and began to talk once more, leading the mourners into a prayer. Upon the prayers completion, Rose's oldest friend stepped up to the lectern, and began speaking. Nicole had, once again, dissolved into tears, and was crying onto Patrick's shoulder, while Ben found himself embracing Abigail, weeping quietly. Before they knew it, the minister had instructed one of Patrick's friends up to the lectern, and he spoke about Patrick, how much he had accomplished in his short lifespan, and what he had hoped to achieve in his life ahead. Nicole wiped her eyes furiously, trying to get herself to go as long as possible without crying. As Patrick's friend stepped down from the alter, the minister stepped forward, and read a passage from the bible. He then led the mourner's through a hymn. When the organ's final notes had faded, the minister then cleared his throat.

"Now Miss Nicole Gates would like to step up and have a few words about her family. Her speech will be followed by a pictorial tribute which will be followed by the conclusion of the service." The minister stepped into the shadows as Nicole got up, and made her way, alone, to the lectern.

"To begin with, I want to thank you all for coming, I know it means a lot to Mum, dad, and Patrick. When I was writing this, I had no idea what I should say. There are no words in existence that describe my family. They, in my eyes, are legends. Dad was so caring, and he would listen to you, whatever it was you were talking about. Mum was brilliant. She could help you, no matter what was the issue. Patrick was the best big brother I could ever have, I mean, sure, he was sort of over protective, but it was great knowing that he would always be there if you needed him, he was always looking out for me." Nicole broke of, wiping her eyes, taking a moment to clear her voice of the small catches that head been becoming more frequent. "The hardest thing for me now, is having to cope by myself, alone, but then I realized that I wasn't, and never will be alone. They'll always be looking after me, and the amount of love and support I've received in the last few days have proved to me that Mum, Dad, and Pat, live on in those around me. Thank-you to everyone for caring, and for helping me through this, it's been really great." Nicole was joined upon the alter by the minister, who handed her three bundles of flowers. She carefully placed one on each of the coffins, before sitting back down between Ben and Patrick. The entire congregation was crying now, even Patrick's friends were dabbing at their eyes. Ben patted Nicole on the shoulder as she cuddled up to Patrick once more, before turning his attention to the projective screen. It was a slide show of images taken throughout Thomas, Rose, and Patrick's lives. Some of the images were funny, like the images of them throughout their childhoods doing something funny or later images of them doing something stupid, which made the mourners laugh. Their were sweet ones too, including a few from Tom and Rose's wedding, or of the Tom and Rose, with a baby Patrick, or the three of them with baby Nicole, that made everyone's eyes well up with tears. Ben knew that the music the tribute was being played to had been picked by Nicole. In the early stages of the tribute, it had been the song that Thomas and Rose had danced to at their wedding, but later in the tribute; it had switched to a more modern song, which Ben guessed was one favored by Patrick. As the tribute finished, the closing image of the entire family the night before the accident at Nicole's valedictory dinner, the minister stepped forward, beckoning the pall bearers forward. Ben stepped forward, as did many others. All of Patrick's friends stepped around Patrick's coffin. Ben, and several other men that he recognized as long term friends and colleagues of Thomas, surrounded Thomas's coffin, and several middle aged men, whom Ben guessed were colleagues, gathered around Rose's. Sobbing, Nicole got up too, flanked by Abigail and Patrick, as a bagpipe began to play; and followed the three coffins down the aisle.

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The drive from the church to the cemetery was deathly quiet, and Ben was grateful when they arrived at their destination. Parking at the edge of the street, they all got out, and Nicole led the way toward the plots that were to be used. Thomas, Rose, and Patrick would be buried close to a large tree, so they would be its shade for the majority of the day. Nicole had helped pick out the spot while she was still in hospital. The sound a water fountain trickled in the distance as Ben, Abigail, Patrick and Nicole approached the graveside. A few others were invited to the burial, including, three of Patrick's friends, four of Thomas and Rose's best friends, and Rose's only surviving relative, her young cousin, who was only five years older than Patrick had been. It did not take long for everyone to arrive. Patrick's friends draped a blue and white striped scarf over his coffin, and everyone lese threw flowers into the grave as the three coffins were lowered. Nicole stayed silent throughout the ceremony, not trusting herself to speak as the minister committed the bodies of her family to the earth. It was only once everyone else had left, that she stood before the still open grave, until her knees buckled beneath her as she fell to the ground, sobbing her farewell to her family. She slowly walked back to the car some minutes later, having brushed the lingering dirt from her knees, and wiped the tears from her eyes.

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The lunch that had been prepared by some of Thomas and Rose's best friends was designed to express the personal taste of Tom, Rose and Patrick. Each of their favorite foods was available. Roast lamb, Apricot chicken, spaghetti, minted peas, creamy mashed potato, carrots, sweet potato, potato gems, Berry cheesecake, pavlova, and a chocolate mousse all being available. Despite his earlier loss of appetite, Ben found himself feeling very hungry as he gazed at the wide variety of food. Abigail also piled her plate high, and Patrick followed her example. Even Nicole, who was remaining very silent, found herself rejoining her friends with a plate of food. The entire group that had attended the actual funeral service was present, and they occupied one big huge table in the hall that had been hired specifically for the event. After everyone had eaten their fill (Ben had noticed several of the younger people present, Nicole included, sneaking seconds of the dessert dishes), the minister got to his feet, and proposed a toast to Thomas, Rose, and Patrick Gates. Ben, Abigail, and everyone else echoed him, and Ben found himself thinking of Nicole, and who, in this room, would have been given the honor of taking care of the young teenager.


	5. Chapter 4

**WARNING: This chapter contains extremely graphical descriptions on fatal bodily injuries that may cause discomfort to readers. Just a little warning in advance.**

Chapter 4

Nicole awoke with a start, sweat dripping from her body. She slowly sat herself up, and leaned against the bed head, tears running down her face. Ever since the accident, she'd been tormented by nightmares, being forced to relive every detail of the accident. The blood, the pain, how she had tried to save her brother's life, how she had been trapped. Nicole groaned and, rubbing her eyes, glanced at the digital alarm clock placed on the bedside table. It showed it was only 2:30 in the morning. Nicole muttered a few select curses under her breath and flopped back onto the bed, reaching out and making sure her toy lamb was their, before closing her eyes, and hoping that the dreams wouldn't come.

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_Nicole sat in the back seat of the car, talking to her brother about the previous night.__ The formal graduation ceremony had, in Nicole's opinion been perfect. The family was on their way to having a late breakfast, or an early lunch, after having a sleep in after the late night before. Nicole glanced out her window as they drove through a intersection, catching a momentary glimpse of a car speeding into the intersection, ignoring the red light facing it, before the deafening sound of Metal hitting metal at a high speed crashed through the air. Nicole screamed as she felt herself being thrown into her passenger window by the force as her family's car spun out of control with a squeal of tires and crash into a power pole. Nicole felt pain erupt from all over her body. She groaned and blinked, blood running into her eyes from a gash in her forehead. Wincing, Nicole raised her wrist and wiped the blood away, almost crying out as her wrist throbbed with intense pain. _

_Her vision clear, Nicole could see the extent of the damage. All of the windows had smashed, and their were many deep dints in the car frame. She first looked forward, towards her parents in the driver's and front passenger's seats. Struggling weakly, she managed to get off her seat belt, and could lean forward, but, upon looking down, Nicole could see her foot was trapped beneath her mother's seat, and she couldn't move it. Awkwardly, Nicole reached out her arms so she could reach her parents. Nicole felt ill as she saw their injuries The impact of the power pole had forced the bonnet in, and had resulted in her mother's entire lower body being crushed by the front of the car. Nicole, praying silently to God, raised her hand to her mother's throat, and felt for a pulse, noting the amount of blood on her mother's face, and chest. Nicole cried out in emotional pain as she felt no pulse, but she remembered her first aid training, and tilted her mother's head back, very carefully. Nicole knew that was all she could do. She then moved over as far as her trapped foot would allow, and checked her father. A large fragment of window glass from the front windshield, had been dislodged during the accident, and Nicole gasped at how it now protruded from her father's stomach area. Blood flowed from the wound, and Nicole tore her eyes away from the injury and felt for a pulse, sobbing as she felt nothing beneath her fingers. She tipped his head back, tears mixing with blood on her face. Nicole then turned to face her brother. She could see the faint rise and fall of his chest, and Nicole called to him._

"_Patrick, Pat, please wake up, c'mon Pat, open your eyes. Help me, please" she begged him, cupping his cheek gently with her own hand. Feeling for a pulse in his wrist with her other hand. She glanced at his body, looking for injuries. One of his legs were trapped underneath their father's chair, and Nicole could see bone protruding from were the bone had been broke by the force of the accident. Their were many deep slashes in his arm, face, and chest from broken glass. Nicole could feel Patrick's pulse, but it was very weak._

"_C'mon, Patrick, stay with me" she begged once more, looking out the shattered window. Their were many people milling around, most looking lost and confused, as if they didn't know what to do. Some were on their phones, and Nicole hoped they were calling ambulances. A couple of people were around the other car, the car that had hit them, and Nicole scowled, until she realized why. The other driver, a middle aged man, had obviously not been wearing his seatbelt, and had been flung through the front windscreen in the accident. Nicole watched in a sort of sick fascination as she saw his body, the top half draped over the front bonnet, while the lower half was still on the inside of the car. Nicole was pretty sure that the other driver was dead, no one could've survived those injuries. She drew her attention back to her brother who was stirring._

"_Pat, Pat are you okay?" she asked, turning his face towards her as he opened his eyes._

"_Nicky?" he asked, referring to her pet name_

"_Yeah, Pat, I'm here. It's going to be fine"_

"_It hurts" he croaked out, coughing. A dribble of blood trickled out of his mouth, and Nicole whimpered, her eyes brimming with tears._

"_It'll be okay, Pat, I promise." Nicole stroked his cheek gently. Patrick smiled, his eyes dim with pain, and he coughed again, this time more furiously. More blood ran from his mouth, and Nicole wiped it away, forgetting her own pain as she tended to him. _

"_Nicole, tell them, tell Mum and Dad that I love them."_

"_Pat" Nicole took a deep breath, "Pat, they're gone"_

"_Bummer. That sucks. Nicky, I want you to know that I love you, know matter what. I know mum and dad love you too, and that they're really proud of you, 'cos I am." _

"_I know they love you too, Pat. They were always so proud of you, and they always will be" Nicole smiled, stroking Pat's face gently._

"_Be brave, Nicky, I love you. Be brave. Life doesn't end here. Keep going; don't hold yourself back because of this."_

"_I love you too, Pat. What are you saying? You're going to be here with me, aren't you?" Nicole's voice rose, suddenly panicky._

"_Nicky, I'm dying. I can feel it. Everything hurts, even breathing, especially breathing. I'm coughing up blood, that's never a good sign."_

"_It doesn't mean it's fatal" Nicole sobbed._

"_I'll still be with you, Nicky, and I'll always look after you. Death won't stop that._

"_Wait, Pat, NO!" Nicole screamed as Patrick closed his eyes_

"_I love you, Nicky" he whispered._

"_I love you too, Pat" Nicole cried as he passed out. Nicole whimpered as her own pain returned with double the intensity it originally had. She bowed her head, the pain overcoming her. She heard the wail of the ambulances in the distance, but didn't move as she cried. She heard the ambulance reach the scene, and the paramedics issuing orders. She heard footsteps as someone drew closer to the wrecked car, and looked up as she saw a paramedic at her father's door._

"_Hello there, we're going to get you out, okay?" the paramedic told her. Nicole whimpered and burrowed her head into Patrick's lap, tears running down her face._

"_Nicole" a voice that sounded eerily like her father's as heard, and Nicole looked at her father._

"_Dad?" she asked_

"_Nicole, wake up!"_

"_Dad!" Nicole screamed as she felt someone touch her shoulder_

"_Nicky, wake up!"_

"_Mum, Dad, Pat, NO!" Nicole screamed as she fell into darkness and her eyes flew open._

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Ben Gates woke up to a scream, and it only took a few second for him to figure out who had screamed. He scrambled from the bed he and Abigail shared and hurried to the room Nicole was sleeping on, flicking on the light as he entered. As he had suspected, Nicole was obviously in the grip of a nightmare. She tossed and turned beneath her sheets, which were quickly becoming tangled. As he stood by the door, she cried out.

"Wait, Pat, NO!" she cried out, obviously distressed. Ben looked over his shoulder, and saw Abigail wake up, immediately towards Nicole's bedroom door. Upon seeing Ben there, she got up, and approached the door, as Ben entered the room and sat beside Nicole's thrashing form on the bed.

"Nicole" He spoke, trying to wake her up. Nicole struggled against the sheets.

"Dad" she whimpered.

"Nicole, wake up!" Ben told her, raising his voice slightly.

"Dad!" Nicole screamed, twisting sideways. By this stage, Patrick had joined Abigail at the bedroom door. Ben reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Nicky, wake up"

"Mum, dad, Pat, NO!" she screamed, tossing over so she was facing Ben as her eyes flew open.

"Nicole, are you okay?' Ben asked as the girl sat up, tears pouring down her face. He squeezed the hand on her shoulder slightly, and Nicole looked at him. She leant forward, and Ben embraced her, rocking her gently as she cried into his shoulder.

"It'll be okay, you'll see" he soothed her, rubbing her back. Nicole kept crying, until she felt herself falling asleep again. It was still very in the morning.

Ben felt Nicole's weight shift slightly, and turned his head, only to find that Nicole had fallen asleep using his shoulder as a pillow. Smiling, Abigail stepped forward and helped him lower the girl to her pillow. While Ben rearranged Nicole's sheets, Abigail felt her foot nudge something, and looked down, only to see a pale blue toy lamb, obviously well loved, on the floor. Abigail, smiled, figuring the toy must have fallen from Nicole's bed during the nightmare, and picked it up, placing it beside the unconscious youth. Nicole felt the soft fur against the back of her hand, and reached out with her fingers, curling them around the toy's leg. Ben, Abigail, and Patrick were struck by how childlike and innocent Nicole looked lying there. Patrick, smiling to himself over Ben and Abigail's parent-like behavior, returned to bed, while Ben and Abigail stayed up with Nicole, making sure their were no more Nightmare's.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Early the next morning, Ben, Abigail, Patrick and Nicole had a meeting with the detective in charge of the case, who told them that the man, who had been driving the other car, had already been dead when the accident had occurred, a bullet to his head some minutes before the accident claiming his life. A brick had been tied to the accelerator pedal, and the steering had been locked in place. Nicole was silent throughout the entire meeting, and it was only as they left the police HQ that she spoke.

"It all sounds a bit suss, doesn't it?" she commented as they got into the car. As much as he hated it, Ben had to admit that she was right

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That afternoon, Nicole, Ben, Patrick and Abigail sat in Thomas and Rose's lawyer's office, as the lawyer, a old friend of Thomas and Rose whom Ben recognized from the funeral, sat behind his desk, Thomas and Rose's will before him.

"Now," said the Lawyer, whose name Ben could not remember, "The will states that everything should pass to Patrick and Nicole, in this case, just Nicole. It says that until she is 18 years old, all funds will be kept in a Trust fund for her, to be managed by her legal Guardians. The will states that if their death's occurred prior to Nicole's 18th Birthday, she should be placed into the care of Benjamin Franklin Gates, her uncle on her father's side, or by a representative Guardian/s appointed by him."

"What" Ben's jaw dropped, and Abigail nudged him in the side warningly.

"Your brother obviously thought you were capable of the job, Mr. Gates" the lawyer clearly stated. Ben swallowed and looked across at Nicole, who was looking at him with a strange look in her eyes.

"Do you want to come?' he asked, "Do you want to come back to America with us?"

Nicole paused for a moment, before nodding. "Yes, I do. I want to go with you. I need to get away from here, out of this country, even if it is only for a year" she said, her voice increasing in confidence as she spoke. Her words boosted Ben's confidence as well.

"Alright then. We'll make the arrangements" he said, nodding, and Nicole smiled. A sudden thought occurred to Patrick, and made him chuckle.

"Looks like you two are going to be filling in that big house you've got a lot sooner than you planned" he joked, and they all laughed.

It took another week to organize Nicole's visa applications, and all of the other travel documents she required. The group, along with a smell army of helpers, mostly old friends of Thomas and Rose, had set about tidying up the Gates' family home. Most of the furniture was put in storage, with smaller items or things either being given to those who had a link with the particular object, donated to a charity shop, or kept by Nicole. The house was put up for rent, and Nicole began the long task of bidding farewell to everyone she knew. Either Ben or Abigail stayed with her during these, often teary, farewells, and let her sob onto their shoulder afterwards. In what seemed like no time at all, they were onboard the plane, heading back to America. Nicole was silently crying, the final farewell she had shared with her friends in the departures lounge still lingering with her. In her arms was one of the presents they had given her, a soft, fluffy, toy dog, which was now wrapped in Nicole's arms as she gazed out the window, her eyes still glistening from the tears. Ben, Abigail and Patrick stayed thoughtfully silent as the jet took off, leaving Australia far behind

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After what seemed like days, but really only a large amount of hours, the plain was touching down. Nicole, who had slept most of the way, looked out of the tiny plane window curiously at this new country she had been brought to. Ben watched her carefully, waiting for her reaction.

"Looks cool, I guess" she said shrugging, secretly a little overwhelmed. Abigail, who was also watching, rubbed Nicole's shoulder.

"It'll be fine."

"I guess you speak the same language" Nicole muttered as the Airplane stopped moving. They went through immigration and customs relatively quickly, and finally they made it out into the main airport. Ben let out a groan.

"Now we just have to find Riley, and then we can go." he said.

"Speak of the Devil" Abigail smiled, spotting Riley in the crowd of waiting people. She led the way, while the others followed.

"Hi Riley" she greeted the younger man. Riley smiled.

"Long time no see."

"We weren't gone that long, Riley." Ben said as he joined them

"I actually had to cook for myself" Riley whined, and Nicole smiled.

"I'm sure you managed, Riley." Abigail rolled her eyes.

"Riley, this is my niece, Nicole. Nicole, this is my best friend Riley" Ben introduced, and they shock hands.

"Hi, nice to meet you." Nicole said.

"The pleasure is all mine." Riley replied, taking a suitcase from Patrick, and leading them out to Ben's car.

"You didn't scratch it?" Ben asked.

"No Ben" Riley was the one who rolled his yeas now, as he handed Ben the keys. Ben shot Riley a glare, and opened the boot, placing the Suitcases in, before walking around to the drivers seat. Once everyone was sitting comfortably, Ben started the engine, and drove towards his home.

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Nicole's mouth fell open as Ben turned up the driveway. The trees that bordered the property falling away to the lush, green lawns, and the house itself, sprawling, and incredibly impressive.

"Nice house" She found herself saying, and Ben laughed.

"You know that it has a historical Background??" he said, and Nicole found herself smiling.

"Knowing you, Uncle Ben, that doesn't surprise me, not at all."

"She does have a point, you know," Riley added as they pulled up and got out of the car. Ben glared at Riley again.

"Whose best friend are you, Riley?"

"I'm just saying" Riley said, raising his arms in mock surrender.

"Boys, play nicely" Abigail added, as she unlocked the door. Carrying her suitcase, Nicole followed Abigail inside, taking in the polished floors and antiques that decorated the entrance.

"Whoa, Nice!" she said, a broad smile braking out upon her face. Riley stepped in behind her, carrying two more suitcases.

"Ben, you might want to restock the fridge before tonight, it's kind of empty." He called out to Ben, who was just behind him.

"Please tell me you did NOT do all your 'cooking' here." Abigail said, her voice rising dangerously as she hurried towards the kitchen to make sure it was still in one piece.

"Ben, remind me why you are with Mean declaration lady?"

"Because she makes your life difficult Riley."

"Thank-you, Ben"

"You're Welcome, Riley. Come on Nicole, I'll show you to your room." Ben his smile as Riley looked disgruntled, before deciding that it would be better if he went with Ben upstairs before Abigail discovered that he had done little cleaning in the kitchen during her absence, and by little, he meant none.

**A.N. Sorry for the slow updates, I've been doing my final year of high school, and I had all these exams. Thankfully, it's all over now, so updates should be more frequent from now on.**

**Although, reviews would increase the frequency of updates.**

**R.W.**


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